Greek Terms

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Greek Terms
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Anagnorisis

• Greek recognition), in a literary work, the
  startling discovery that produces a change from
  ignorance to knowledge.
• When does this occur in Oedipus

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Catharsis

• the release of emotional tension which builds up
  in the audience as they follow the downfall

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Choragos

• leader of the chorus

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Dues ex machine

• g-d from the machine the employment of some
  unexpected and improbable event in a story.

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Exodus

• concludes the action

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Extant

• still existing not destroyed

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Hamartia

• Aristotle introduced the term casually in the
  Poetics in describing the tragic hero as a man of
  noble rank and nature whose misfortune is not
  brought about by villainy but by some error of
  judgment (hamartia).
• inevitable, just punishment for wrong-doing
• Where does this Occur in Oedipus?

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Harmartia

• In Greek tragedy the nature of the heros flaw is
  even more elusive. Often the tragic deeds are
  committed unwittingly, as when Oedipus
  unknowingly kills his father and marries his own
  mother. If the deeds are committed knowingly,
  they are not committed by choice

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Harmartia

• Also, an apparent weakness is often only an
  excess of virtue, such as an extreme zeal for
  perfection. It has been suggested in such cases,
  since the tragic hero is never passive but
  struggles to resolve his tragic difficulty with
  an obsessive dedication, that he is guilty of
  hubris.

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Hubris

• overbearing pride which results in misfortune of
  the protagonist
• presumption of being godlike and attempting to
  overstep his human limitations.

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Nemesis

• one that inflicts retribution or vengeance
• a formidable and usually victorious rival or
  opponent

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Skene

• scene building
• In the ancient theatre the skene was merely a
  conventional background.
• the skene was originally a small wooden structure
  facing the circle of spectators. It developed
  into a two-story edifice decorated with columns,
  with three doors used for entrances and exits and
  the appearance of ghosts and gods

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Skene

• By the end of the 5th century bc, the wooden
  skene was replaced by a permanent stone
  structure. In the Roman theatre it was an
  elaborate building facade.

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cipher

• secret writing based on a code

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• an uneasy prompted by guilt

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compunction

• uneasy prompted by guilt

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constraint

• restriction

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consummate

• perfect

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fathom

• to understand thoroughly

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incardine

• To make red

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stature

• level of attainment

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succor

• to help in times of need or distress

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suppliant

• Someone who makes a humble request

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Paltry

• almost worthless